Covered Volunteer means any unpaid person who is engaged in or involved in any Archdiocesan institution or parish activity, and who is entrusted with the care or supervision of children or vulnerable adults; or has unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults; or serves in a role that is defined by this policy to have safe environment requirements in order to serve as a volunteer.

Not all volunteers are Covered Volunteers. As such, some volunteers if they do not have unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults or are not entrusted with the care of supervision of children or vulnerable adults may not be subject to the same screening requirements. Examples below.

Some Volunteer Roles DO NOT Require Fingerprinting or VIRTUS training

1. Sacristan duties, unless accessible to altar servers who are minors
2. Altar dressers; persons responsible for washing and maintaining altar linens
3. Lectors, unless also serving in other roles, such as ushering
4. Adult choir member, unless practicing and/or performing with minors (children's choir); cantor
5. Extraordinary Minister of Eucharist (if at Masses only).
6. Bereavement Group Leader
7. Ladies' Guild, Council of Catholic Women, Bible Study Groups, Ministry groups that do not have unsupervised access to children and/or vulnerable adults

Some Volunteer Roles Require Fingerprinting but not VIRTUS

1. Members of Finance Council; Chair also requires Virtus
2. Money counters, volunteers at festivals, food pantry, ushers

Some Volunteer Roles Require Fingerprinting, initial VIRTUS, but not monthly bulletins

1. Extraordinary Minister of Eucharist who visits homes, hospital
2. Parent volunteer assisting in religious education or in school but without unsupervised access to children
3. School Advisory Board members, High School Board of Directors, Parish Council, Home and School Council

Some Volunteer Roles Require Fingerprinting, initial VIRTUS, and monthly bulletins

1. Chair/leader of parish ministry, board, Council
2. Home room parent, chaperone for school trips, day or overnight
3. Religious Education catechist, coaches
4. Volunteer in youth ministry, Scout leader
5. Camp Erin, Centro Mater or Catholic Hospice volunteers

The Pastor, Principal or supervisor for the volunteer can advise the specific safe environment requirements based on the volunteer’s role as per the ADOM policy.

Read More

• Fingerprinting And Background Screening
• Virtus Training And Monthly Bulletins
• Pledge

Please refer to the Archdiocese of Miami's Creating and Maintaining a Safe Environment Policy for additional information. The definitions included on this webpage are limited to this policy only and do not confer employment status or otherwise have legal significance outside of this policy

Any concerns of abuse or neglect reported to ADOM personnel by a victim or on behalf of a victim should be immediately reported to DCF, if applicable and, in all cases, to the ADOM Safe Environment Director.